


Oxytale

by varkdeboys



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: (Could these tags get anymore out of order?), (I swear there are no tentacles), (Please stop running away), (maybe), AU, Alternate Physics, Alternate Universe, Ash - Freeform, Basment, Brothers, Casual Conversaions, Comedy, Confusion, Conveniently Shaped Decor, Dead Psychic Friend, Dreams, Fire, Highly Descriptive, Laziness, Magic, Monsters, Multiple Fonts, Mute Frisk, Ominous Tones, Original au, POV First Person, Pain, Panic, Pie, Pollution - Freeform, Possible Concusions, Psychic Friend, Sass...A Lot Of Sass, Scars, Semi-lucid Dreams, Skeletons, Video game mechanics/logic, Volcano, Wingdings - Freeform, Writing, gaming references, motherly figure, mountain, plot twist after plot twist, puns, small town, smoke, stressful situation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 01:11:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10820601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/varkdeboys/pseuds/varkdeboys
Summary: Mount Ebott: Everyone always told me it was a cursed mountain. Rightly so too. It’s always spewing out smoke and ash. Thankfully the wind blows the gray clouds away from the city most days. Even so, it’s mandatory that everyone keeps a gasmask on their person at all times. The wind can change at any second.Researchers say that they can’t figure out where exactly the mountain’s emissions are coming from. Everyone has their own thoughts. Some say that it’s just a volcano that’s really deep in the surface of the earth, others think it’s a portal to hell. I think that these rumors were what initially tempted me to climb the mountain.I still remember the day that I gathered the determination to leave home and go adventuring. My parents were both late coming home from work. I gathered the items needed for my expedition: my gasmask, a bottle of water, a camera, my phone, a small first-aid kit, a couple of filters for the mask, all of which I put in a small backpack. I left a note on my room’s door that read, “Out for a hike. Be home later. Love you - Frisk.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Important Note!  
> While reading you will come across different types of dialog.  
> 1\. Underlined/italicized: This is the thoughts of the character that the reader is following  
> 2\. [Brackets]: This is indicating narration (and maybe something else)  
> 3\. Wingdings: Don't worry about translating, I'll make it easy to understand (maybe). You will most likely also have to go to the top of the page an click the "Show Creator's Style" button (if it's there. I'm not really sure how it works).  
> 4\. *"Starred/quotations"*: This is just basic dialog.
> 
> If this didn't make sense, please leave a comment and I will help. Most of it you should be able to figure out on your own though.

I stood at the base of the monstrous mountain. I stared at the open peak. It almost felt as though the mountain was looking back at me and warning me not to enter; the smoke and ash almost an indication of my fate should I choose to hike up Ebott. My reply to such a warning was to readjust my backpack, grab my walking stick, and start up the rarely trodden path.

The feeling of danger only grew the longer I hiked. The sounds of the city faded, and wildlife became more sparse. The atmosphere of the area only got more ominous and eerie.

About an hour into my hike I noticed that plant life became more and more rare. At that point I found it wise to don my gasmask. With my vision now restricted, I had to repeatedly look at my feet to be sure not to fall. That, in turn, slowed my progress.

I pressed onward for another hour, my breath fogging the lenses on my gasmask.

I soon realized it was getting dark. I looked at my watch to check the time. It read 6:23 PM. Concern quickly crossed my mind.

“The sun doesn’t set till 8. Why is it getting dark?”

I looked up at the sky to see that the smoke from Ebott was blotting out the sun. The wind had switched directions and was now blowing the emissions from the mountain over the town. I spun around and saw that the emergency lights in the town were indicating residents to put on gas masks. I was unable to hear the alarms that paired with the lights.

Watching the cloud drift over the town filled me with a sense of shock and awe. I was amazed at how it looked from a distance, but I also knew that it would take about a week to clean up all the ash, and the town was sure to smell of smoke for a long while.

I had always wondered why the town wasn’t abandoned years before. They knew this would happen, yet they never closed the town. It was true, however, that some families had moved away due to the soot from Ebott, but most of the town stayed.

Thinking about this forced my curiosity towards where the emissions from the mountain originated. I wanted to let scientists know so they could stop it. That way, the town would never have to endure another heavy dusting of ash. I, sixteen year old Frisk, was going to discover that which scientist could never figure out!

I spun on my heel and continued my long trek up Mountain Ebott.

However, before I even took twenty steps, I noticed it began snowing. It was a gray snow. Worry filled my mind.

“I have to find shelter fast! I the ash is caustic and could cause damage if I stay in it!”

Through the smog that now surrounded me I saw a cave entrance. I started jogging up the incline towards it, the pollutants getting thicker, making it harder to see. I began to smell smoke. My filter had just died and I needed to replace it quickly before I received lung damage. My focus was fully around the dark opening to the cave. My throat began to itch as the undoctored air began to enter my body. I held my breath and ran faster towards the cave. My vision began to darken and my head began to lighten. My lungs were screaming for fresh air and I was moments from passing out as I entered the cave.

I quickly dropped to my knees and began unscrewing my old filter and I removed my backpack. I took one quick breath as I removed a new filter from my bag to prevent me from going unconscious. I quickly screwed in the new filter and started breathing again. I had to wait a minute on the floor as I caught my breath.

My eyes watered as I sat there, breathing heavily. I snickered to myself. How dumb is that? I just went through hell to end up in a cave. Speaking of which, what’s in this cave anyways? I doubt it’s a bear den. My curiosity took a hold of my mind and I looked towards the back of the cave. A dark, but oddly well made passage lead deeper into the cave. I grabbed my bag, turned on the light on my phone, and started down the passageway.

My steps were cautious ones, and my mask still restricted my vision. I slowly progressed down the roughly cut hall till I reached a sign. With my light not wide enough, I chose to take a picture of it. Confusion encompassed my mind as I looked at the picture. It read, “DEATH LIES AHEAD".

“What the...what kind of language is that? I’ve never seen it before.”

My focus was severed when I felt a gust of air blow against my clothes. Did that air come from the end of the tunnel? My unspoken question was answered as another gust confirmed my thoughts. I turned on my flashlight again and pressed onward.

After a few minutes of stumbling down the corridor I came to the entrance of a large, cylindrical room. Another sign hung at the opening that read, “THE DARKNESS CONSUMES ALL”. I ignored this one and walking into the room.

The first thing I noticed was a massive pillar of smoke. I was moving rapidly upward. The second thing I noticed was that the ceiling was out of sight. I quickly got out my camera, put it in video mode, and started documenting the anomaly.

“Today's date is May eighth, 20XX. I am currently inside of Mount Ebott, well, a cave in the south side of the mountain. I was pushed in here due to a sudden weather change while I was hiking. As you can see there Is a massive pillar of smoke in front of me. It’s so weird. It moving up at a very fast pace, and it’s in a perfect cylinder shape.”

I quickly walked around the pillar to prove my point.

“If you don’t think this is smoke, let me touch it.”

I walked towards the smoke updraft and stuck my hand in it. My fingers easily passed through the outer layer of smoke, the feeling of dry warmth against my palm.

“I don’t know where it’s coming from, but it has to have an outlet from here because the room isn’t filled with smoke.”

I tried to take my hand back, but something prevented my wrist from exiting.

“What the?!? I can’t take my hand out!”

I quickly dropped my camera and grabbed my wrist with my other hand. I pulled with all of my strength, but to no avail. Instead something pulled back. It’s yank was strong enough to pull me off my balance. The next thing I knew I was stumbling into the pillar. The ground vanished from beneath me and I dropped into a free-fall. My vision was plunged into darkness.

Moments later I realized what was happening and began screaming in horror. My life flashed before my eyes and I fell to my fate. I instinctively curled into the fetal position and prepared for a hard contact with a stony floor.

Time moved into slow motion as I felt something hard and sharp cut through my shoulder blade. I began spinning and flipping out of control, still in a free fall. I bounced from wall to wall, not knowing where anything was. Sharp hit followed sharp hit as I was powerless to stop my motion. My arms, legs, and back were being pummeled. Suddenly, one of the hits managed to slice my throat. I grabbed my neck as I felt a moist warmth spread from the wound. My eyes bulged as immense pain flooded my system. My vision faded quickly as I lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

[Well, look at this. Seems like they fell. They’re in pretty bad shape. Haha...it’s almost too easy. Hmm...maybe I can have some fun with this. Hey kid! Wake up! Let’s have an adventure]

 

*********

 

I bolted awake, breathing heavily, my brow covered in sweat. The echos of the smooth but  ominous voice still lingered from my dreams. I cringed at the pain that followed my sudden movement. The flood of agony from my cuts and bruises reinforced the fact that my fall hadn’t been a dream. I sat still for a minute and waited for the pain the fade. 

 

I decided to collect my thoughts while I waited. 

 

_ Ok, what can I feel? Soft sheets and a bed under me? The hell? How am I in a bed? Did I land in it? Is that what broke my fall? I smells like smoke and...soap? The smoke bit makes sense, but soap? I can’t hear anything aside from my breathing, so there most likely isn’t any technology near by. If there is, it’s very quiet...or my breathing is very loud. Could be either at this point.  _

 

I slowly opened my eyes to analyse my surroundings. I first noticed that I was in a fairly well lit room, the second thing I noticed was that there was no smoke in the room. I then realized that the walls were painted a solid color of smooth maroon. I was sitting in a bed that had a matching maroon color.

 

_ Everything in this room is maroon colored. It seems someone really likes uniformity in their design.  _

 

There was a small toy box at the foot of the bed, and off to the right of me there was a dresser. Further past the dresser was a small shelving unit on the ground that contained random trinkets in it. Two lamps were in the corners opposite the door. In between the furthest lamp and the shelving unit was a closed wooden chest.

 

_ All in all, it’s a quaint little children’s room. The issue being, I’m not a child.  _

 

“My child? Are you awake?”

 

I quickly looked in the direct the voice had come from and was filled with horror. In the doorway was a goat wearing a faded purple cloak. It stood up to almost seven feet tall and looked at me with concerned eyes. I tried to say something, but nothing came out.

 

[The cut on your throat prevents you from speaking]

 

My eyes widened at the sound of a second voice. I brought my hand to my throat and felt a bandage covering it. I tried to form words, but all that came up was a raspy croak, a dry feeling in my throat, and a whole new wave of pain that caused me to double over. 

 

“Oh, my child! Do not move! I have yet to fully heal you. You must rest.”

My mind began filling with questions. Where am I? Who, or what, is this person? Why does she act like she’s my mother? Where’d that second voice come from? What does she mean by heal?

My breathing intensified as I began to slip into a panic attack. I backed away from the goat lady.

 

Another wave of pain from my body wiped my mind blank and reminded me that even if I was in danger, this woman-goat-THING had helped me. If she intended to kill me then she wouldn’t have bandaged me. 

 

[Your body grows weary of the pain. Sleep approaches you.]

 

_ I do feel very tired. I guess I need to give my body some time to heal. I’ll figure things out later.  _

 

I lay back in the bed and closed my eyes. I felt the goat person pull the covers over me. 

 

“There you go, my child. Rest. I will check in on you later.”

 

Sleep engulfed my body once more.

 

*********

 

I felt my body floating through space. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but smoke. I didn’t smell any smoke, but I knew it was all around me. I looked down and saw deep scars covered my arms and legs, and I could sense more on my back. I touched my throat and felt another scar going horizontally across my neck. I then noticed that I wasn’t alone. 

 

“Who’s there?”

 

I was surprised that I was able to speak. I was even more surprised that something answered me. 

 

[Just me, Frisk]

 

“How do you know my name?”

 

[Simple. I know everything about you. I am you now.]

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

[All will be known later. For now, are you not curious about a few other things? Maybe where you are or how you’re still alive?]

 

“Damn you and your criptive words!”

 

[Ah ah ah~. That’s no way to talk to a guest. You might end up scaring away your only source of information.]

 

“Fine! What do you want?”

 

[I want only wish to share an adventure with you.]

 

“That’s all?”

 

[Mostly, yes. Now, are you not curious about a few things?]

 

“I guess so.”

 

[Please, by all means, ask away.]

 

“Alright, where am I in the real world?”

 

[Ah, I see you’ve noticed that you’re in a dream. You’re perceptive. Well, to answer you question, you’re in the underground; the kingdom of monsters.]

 

“Monsters?”

 

[Yes. In fact, you’ve already met one. The goat lady you saw not too long ago was a monster. She was the one who saved your life.]

 

“Is she why I’m not dead?”

 

[In a way, yes. You survived your fall, but just barely. She found you, took you home, and healed you the best that she could before she got tired.]

 

“How did I survive the fall?”

 

[As you fell, you were in your world, but just before you hit the bottom you entered the underground.]

 

“What does that mean?”

 

[The underground is a place established and dependent on magic. When you entered the underground, the rules of the world changed and you survived.]

 

“What do you mean by ‘the rules of the world changed’?”

 

[You will see soon enough.]

 

“Fine. You said that the goat lady healed me. Did she use magic to do that?”

 

[Yes. That is also why she got tired and was unable to fully heal you.]

 

“Why didn’t my scars heal when she used magic?”

 

[The scars were caused in your world. The healing that the lady provided was only able to heal damage to vital organs and damage received in this world. That is why your real body is covered in bandages.]

 

“Are there other monsters in the underground?”

 

[Yes.]

 

“Do all of them use magic?”

 

[Most of them do.]

 

“Am I in danger?”

 

A small chuckle echoed through the smoke. Chills ran down my spine.

 

[Most definitely.]

 

“Ok, one last question.”

 

[Certainly.]

 

“Are you going to help me?”

 

[Maybe.]

 

“What do yo-”

 

The floor below my feet instantly vanished and I fell into an immense light that rivaled that of the sun. My eyes burned at the intest brightness that engulfed everything. 

 

[Have fun, partner.]

 

I could feel myself falling faster and faster, the wind rushing past me, the light only getting brighter. I descended further into the bright hell, only wanting for it to end. My fall was broken suddenly by a loud thud. 

 

I bolted awake for the second time that day. 

 

_ I am so tired of waking up from fever dreams! God! Uhg...I need to get out of bed and move around. My muscles ache so much.  _

  
I moved slowly out of my bed and towards the door, trying to avoid any pain. I limped my way to the door and opened it to reveal the smell of fresh baking. 


	3. Chapter 3

 

I sat in a comfortable wooden chair in what seemed to be a living room while listening to the goat-lady singing lightly in the nearby kitchen. I relaxed and tried to give my sore wounds a rest. 

 

[You hear a small giggle of approval from the goat lady. She seems to be happy about something.]

 

_ Oh, you’re still around huh? Are you just going to narrate the rest of my life? _

 

[Your spectral narrator answers your question with a proud ‘yes’.]

 

_ Ya havin’ fun there? _

 

[Seeing at how it’s the only thing I can do, yes.]

 

The entrance of the goat-lady cut my unheard conversation short.

 

“Here, child, try some of my homemade butterscotch-cinnamon pie! You’ll love it!”

 

[The goat-lady gives you a bright smile.]

 

_ I wonder if this pie is poisoned...Nah. She’s too nice for that. _

 

I picked up the provided fork and tried a small bite of the pie. A sudden blast of flavor entered my mouth. The flavor was better than anything I had eaten before. I quickly devoured the rest of the pie.

 

[You ate the butterscotch-cinnamon. You feel your wound’s aches fade.]

 

“Oh my. You seemed to enjoy that! I might just have to make more of it later.”

 

The goat-lady turned around and sat in a large recliner next to the fireplace that lay inside the wall. Self content was visible on her face as she opened a book titled in a language unknown to me. 

 

[Toriel is happy in knowing that she was able to please another child.]

 

_ Wait...Toriel? ‘Another child’? What do you know that I don’t? Are you some type of all-knowing being? _

 

[Please, one question at a time.]

 

I let out an audible sigh. The goat-lady looked at me with concern in her eyes.

“What is it my child? Was the after taste bad? Do I need to get you anything?”

 

I quickly gave a smile and waved my hands in front of me, signifying that it was nothing. She gave me another look of concern before returning to her book.

 

_ Alright, who is Toriel? _

 

[Toriel is the only other visible creature in this room.]

 

_ Ok. What about the ‘another  child’ thing? I mean, it makes sense why she has a kid’s room in her house, but how many other kids has she had? _

 

[Toriel has given shelter to seven children before you.]

 

_ Seven?!? How many of those were biologically hers? _

 

[Biologically, only one.]

 

_ Does that mean that...she kidnapped the other six? _

 

[Technically no. All the other six of us were human children who fell into the underground. Just like you. You are the seventh human child she has taken care of.] 

 

_ You said ‘us’. Does that mean that you were once a kid that she cared for? _

 

[Yes.]

 

_ So, what happened to you? To the other kids? _

 

[I, personally, died.]

 

_ Wait, so you’re telling me that you died, became a ghost, possessed me, and are just enjoying watching me?  _

 

[In short; yes.]

 

_ Well, if you’ve been here before, does that mean you can read the language that is on Toriel’s book?  _

 

[Yes, it says “72 uses for snails”.]

 

Toriel looked up at me. I didn’t realize till now that I had been staring at her for a while.

 

“What is it my child? Is something wrong? Is there something on my face?”

 

I shook my head and pointed at her book.

 

“Oh, what am I reading? It’s a fact book that lists many things about snails! I find it quite exciting! Would you like to hear some of the things in here?”

 

_ I guess I don’t have anything better to do right now. _

 

I shrugged my shoulders, giving her the “ok” to start reading.

 

“Wonderful! Here’s an exciting fact: Did you know that snails sometimes flip their digestive systems as they mature? Interesting.”

 

I smiled as I nodded.

 

_ I didn’t actually know that. Kinda cool.  _

 

“Here’s another one: Did you know that snails make terrible shoelaces?”

 

I let out a small snicker. Toriel smiled in return.

 

“I guess that one is a bit silly.”

 

Suddenly a thought hit me.

 

_ My parent gotta be in a full on panic! They would have overthrown the whole town looking for me. I hope they don’t think I’m dead. I gotta get home fast. Crap, how do I tell Toriel that though? Wait! Ghost dude! Can you help me for a sec? _

 

[What do you need?]

 

_ Can you help me tell Toriel that I need to leave?  _

 

[I don’t know if that’s a good idea…]

 

_ Please~? I need to let my real parent know that I’m still alive!  _

 

[Ok. Fine. what do want to write. I’ll help you spell it.]

 

_ Thanks.  _

 

I got up and tapped Toriel on the shoulder and pointed at the in her book.

 

“What is it? Do you want me to read you another fact?”

 

I shook my head and mimicked the action of writing with my hands. 

 

“You want paper to write on?”

 

I nodded.

 

“I will be right back my child!”

 

She got up quickly and ran down the hallway that led to the room I had slept in. She passed to door to that room and went into the door just past it. A few moments later she exited the room and came back with a single piece of paper and a pen.

 

“I’m so eager to know what you will write! You haven’t spoken a word since you got here, and I love the idea of writing things down.”

 

I smiled as I took the writing utensils from her. I put the paper on the table as Toriel continued to yammer on, caught up in her own fantasies.

 

_ Alright “narrator”, this is my message… _

 

“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher you know.”

 

[Do a crescent shape…]

 

“It would be so much fun to have dozens of respectful students…”

 

[Now add a thick dash…]

 

“They would listen to my words…”

 

[Now do a cartoon looking sun…]

 

“I could teach them so many useful things…”

 

[Two vertical lines next to each other…]

 

“I could even spoil them with my pies when they get good grades!”

 

[Finally, do an arrow pointing up.]

 

“Oh~, how lovely it would be.”

 

I turned around and shook Toriel out of her fantasy. 

 

“Yes, my child? Have you finished writing?”

 

I held the paper up and donned a serious face. Both of us paused as she read what was on the paper.

 

[Toriel’s mood sours as she reads “I want to go home”.]

 

Her expression darkened. I now realized that she towered above me; looming ominously. I held my ground.

 

“I see. You’re no different from the rest. Stay here. I have something I must do.”

 

Toriel whipped around and left the room. I let out a sigh of relief as I saw her walk down the stairs to the basement.

 

[You do know that she is going to destroy the only exit from this place, right?]

 

_ Wait, WHAT?!?  _

 

I quickly ran out of the room and down the stairs. At the base of them I saw a large, dark hallway and Toriel standing not far from me. Her backside giving me the feeling that I had just unleashed her inner fury. 

 

“You wish to know how to return “home” do you not?” 

 

[The spite of Toriel’s words is palpable.]

 

“Ahead of us lies the end of the ruins.”

 

[It smells like smoke.]

 

“A one-way exit to the rest of the underground.”

 

[Your eyes begin to water.]

 

“I am going to destroy it.”

 

[You realize that you may require a gasmask to continue past this point.]

 

“No one will ever be able to  leave again.”

 

[You see a small ball of fire form in Toriel’s hand]

 

“Now be a good child and go upstairs.”

_ Way ahead of you Toriel! _

 

I turned on my heel and ran back up the stairs. I didn’t stop one I got to the top of the stairs; I kept running till I reached the room that I slept in. I closed the door behind me and let my back slide down it till i was in a sitting position.

[Told you it wasn’t the best idea]

 

_ What am I going to do? She’s going to trap me here. She seemed so nice. I have no clue on what to do. _

 

[Here’s an idea: grab your mask and filters, and go talk to her. I bet that you can talk her out of the idea if you’re nice enough.]

 

_ You think it’ll work? _

 

[There’s no guarantee, but you have to act quick before she actually blocks you in here.]

 

_ I guess you’re right. Let’s get this over with.  _

 

I grabbed my mask and put as many filters in my pockets as possible. As I grabbed the handle to the door I looked back at the quaint little room. I noticed a picture had been sitting on the shelving unit. In it it showed a happy family of three monsters, one of which was Toriel. 

 

_ Did she use to have a family? _

 

[Yes. She had a husband and one son.]

 

I let out a sigh.

 

_ It doesn’t help my mission knowing that I am going to be leaving a widow. I know it’s gonna hurt both of us.  _

 

I turned the knob on the door and took a decisive step out into what could be the most painful few minutes of my life. 


	4. Part 4

    I stood at the top of the stairs, breathing heavily. The mask in my hand only making the intensity of my choice all the more real.

 

     _I don’t even know why I’m panicking. I’ve hardly known this lady for more than a day!_

 

[You’ve connected with her. She’s become a motherly figure to you. She’s good at caring like a mother.]

 

    _ Dude. You’re not making this any easier. _

 

[The sudden realization that Toriel may be destroying your only exit fills you with determination.]

 

     _UHG! I hate it when people are right in situations like this!_

 

I quickly ran down the stairs while putting on my gasmask and screwing in a filter. When I hit the bottom of the stairs, I saw Toriel once again. Her back still faced me. She must have sensed my presence because she started speaking again.

 

    “Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again.”

 

    A slight inflection in her voice made it clear that she was holding back tears.

 

    “They come. They leave. They die.”

 

     _Did every kid that fell down here die?_

 

“You naÏve child… if you leave the ruins… they… ASGORE… will kill you.”

 

    Her voice lowered to just a whisper. It was clear that grief was taking a toll on her.

 

    “I am only protecting you, do you understand?”

 

    [The heavy weight of guilt pulls at your heart.]

 

     _Hey narrator dude?_

 

[Yes~?]

 

_I hate it when you’re right._

 

“Go to your room.”

 

Toriel slowly walked forward; leaving me to ponder my choices.

 

I didn’t move. I just watched in despair as Toriel went down the hall and around a corner.

 

_What do I do? I feel awful. I mean, yeah I wanna get back to my parents, but is it worth shattering an old lady’s world? Narrator. What should I do?_

 

Silence was the only answer I received. After waiting about a minute in silence I decided that my only option was to press forward. I walked to the corner that Toriel had went around, but I paused before I could see what was around the side of it. I heard Toriel from around the corner.

 

    “Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning.”

 

    The echoes of her footsteps becoming more distant reached my ears. I let out a sigh.

 

    [The feeling of knowing what you must do fills you with determination.]

 

    The smoke at this point was visible and thick, but not fully vision obscuring. I rounded the corner to once more see Toriel’s back. This time she stood before a large door.

 

    “You want to leave so badly?”

 

    She let out a little ‘hmph’ before continuing.

 

“You’re just like the others.”

 

A wave of emotional pain cut through me.

 

“There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself…”

 

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as a sense of danger filled the air.

 

“Prove to me you are strong enough to survive.”

 

Toriel turned around as the smoke in the room thickened to the level of me not being able to see the walls. Suddenly the light of a fire illuminated Toriel’s figure.

 

[Toriel blocks the way.]

 

_Wait! She has fire magic? OH CRAP!_

 

Toriel swept her hand horizontally in front of her and materialized several more fireballs. I stood still as they hovered in the air for a moment.

 

_Is she actually going to attack me?_

 

The fire ball quickly shot in my direction as I froze with fear. One of the offensive orbs struck me in the chest, knocking the breath out of my lungs as I stood there in awe as. I dropped to a knee due to the immense pain from the attack. While I held that position, another fireball bounced off of the wall behind me and hit me on the back of my head, knocking me face-first to the ground.

 

    [Toriel is acting aloof.]

 

    _ Oooooow. Okay. She will actually attack me. Let’s not go through that experience again. _

 

I slowly got to my feet, clutching my chest.

 

    [Toriel awaits your move.]

 

     _My move? Imma stay back. Best to stay away from that fire._

 

Just after thinking that Toriel put both of her hands together and fired out a stream of fire. The stream split into two tubes of fire that both altered their outward course towards me. I instinctively jumped forward towards the initial fork in the stream and watched as the fire converged behind me. The path closed in a little, causing me more pain. I dropped to a knee again.

 

    _ OUCH! Jeez, if I keep this up then she might actually end up killing me. _

 

I looked down at my wounds and saw… nothing.

 

     _What the? Shouldn’t I be burned? She’s throwing fire at me right?_

 

[Toriel prepares a magical attack.]

 

    _ Oh. Right. Magic. Does that mean she’s sapping my soul or something? Cause it really hurts! _

 

[Toriel awaits your move.]

 

     _Right. Save the theorizing for later._

Toriel fire the same attack as before. This time I was able to dodge receiving any damage.

 

     _Alright. I’m catching on. Let’s try not to get too cocky._

 

[A puzzled look spreads across Toriel’s face.]

 

    She once again used the same attack and I was able to, once again, dodge it without injury.

 

    “What are you doing?”

 

_I don’t know! What am I doing? What am I supposed to be doing? I’m kinda too pumped on adrenaline from have fire thrown at me to think straight!_

 

Toriel tried using the first attack against me. I quickly ducked under the fireballs.

 

    “Attack or run away!”

 

     _I’d love to run away, but I can’t even see the walls in this smoke. As for the fighting thing, I’m not one for punching traumatized old goat-ladies in the face._

 

“What are you proving this way?”

 

    Toriel thrust her arms out towards the walls. I saw a ring of fire quickly cover all the walls. She quickly clapped her hands together and another stream of fire came towards me. This time, however the fire split into multiple sections of fire that moved left and right while coming towards me. My brain locked up, and I was hit many times while I stupidly flailed around in the center of the room.

 

    [You near death. Toriel looks through you.]

 

     _I’ don’t think I can take any more of this beating. Imma just bail out of here._

 

I stumbled back until my back touched something hard and cold. I kept my eyes on Toriel as I felt my way to the exit of the room. Once I found that, I awkwardly stumbled out and back towards the stairs. A calm but somewhat sad voice came from where I had been.

 

    “That’s right. Go upstairs.”

 

    I collapsed at the foot of the stairs, unable to go on.

 

    _ Dude, what am I supposed to do? She just destroyed me, and she’s able to do the same to my only escape. _

 

[Get up and try again.]

 

     _You’re kidding me, right? There’s no way I can win against her!_

 

[You have determination. I’m sure you can win if you just keep trying.]

 

    _ Great. Now a voice in my head believes in me. That totally gives me confidence. _

 

[Just trust me on this, okay? I know you can’t lose.]

 

    _ Fine. We’ll try this again. Here’s to hoping I can suddenly become a ninja and dodge every attack she has. _

 

I slowly picked myself up and shambled back into what may be my demise. I leaned against the wall in order to maintain my balance. I entered the billowing, ominous smoke pouring out of the mock-arena with caution. Once I had reentered a voice pierced the dark clouds.

 

    “Already? What will it take for you to learn your lesson?”

 

    A half grimace half grin became my expression.

 

     _I don’t know lady. Me and my little ghost friend here and quite the stubborn type._

 

[Toriel blocks the way.]

 

    _ Bring it on! _

 

    Toriel swept both of her hands in front of her, creating a line of fire on both sides of me. Each fireball on either side had alternating heights. I had no time to memorize the pattern before both seemingly unavoidable walls quickly closed in on me.

 

     _Aw crap…_

 

I winced and prepared myself for a final wave of agony before death. The sounds of whooshing fire flying past me caused me to flinch. To my surprise, however, no pain came. I slowly opened one eye, than the other. What I saw before me stunned me.

 

    “Stop it.”

 

    The smoke had thinned, revealing Toriel on her knees, head in hands, weeping.

 

“Go away!”

 

Her outburst was quickly followed by silence. I stood there, not knowing what to do. After a minute of silence, Toriel spoke up again.

 

“I know you want to go home… but please… go upstairs now. I promise I will take good care of you.”

 

Toreil looked up and gave me a meek smile that penetrated my soul and pulled at my heart’s strings.

 

“I know we do not have much, but...We can have a good life here.”

 

Her mood changed back to sad and continued her speech.

 

“Why are you making this so hard?”

 

She looked at the floor, defeated. My emotions continued to swell.

 

“Please… go upstairs.”

 

Silent tears from both parties began to fall. Toriel, still looking downward, began smiling meekly again.

 

“Ha ha… pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child.”

 

I emotions swirled within me at an uncontrollable rate. I took a step toward Toriel in order to do something, anything. My movements were halted as Toriel spoke up again.

 

“No, I understand. You would just be unhappy trapped down here. The ruins are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this. My expectations… My loneliness… My fear… For you, my child… I will put them aside.”

 

The floodgates were opened and the tears flowed freely now. I walked over to where Toriel sat and fell before her, hugging her.

 

“If you truly wish to leave the ruins… I will not stop you.”

 

Toriel reached forward and draped her large fuzzy arms around my shoulders in a weak hug.

 

“However, when you leave… Please do not come back.”

 

My tears were flowing at an uncontrollable rate as I hugged her abdomen with all my might.

 

“I hope you understand.”

 

She lightly squeezed, returning my hug, before standing up. A gentle smile graced her face.

 

“Goodbye, my child.”

 

I desperately reached for her as I lay on the ground, too weak to stand. A final tear fell from her eye before she walked past me and out of the room. I lay there, listening to her footsteps fade.

 

By now, my mask was half waterlogged with my salty tears. I slowly removed it and allowed it to drain onto the floor. My emotions were once more a tornado of mixed thoughts. I sluggishly stood back up and reapplied my mask.

 

[It may be best for us to move on while given the opportunity.]

 

I simply nodded in response.I walked to the large door before me and gently pushed it open.

 

[Knowing that you have surpassed your first major obstacle… it fills you with determination.]


	5. Chapter 5

I walked forward, numb of all feeling. I was aware of my surroundings, but I didn’t care about them; my mind was elsewhere. It seemed that my narrator was in a similar state due to their silence.

 

The hallway that I walked down seemed to have no end. I didn’t mind the emptiness; it allowed me to think. The swirling smoke around me allowed my imagination to run wild, the restricted view from my gas mask was a window to the world around me.

 

I continued my slow, delusional walk until my gasmask connected with something solid, creating a soft echoing clink sound.

 

[Hey. Wake up! You just walked into a door. Open it and get moving.]

 

I looked up, and sure enough, there was a large stone door. I weakly put my hand on it, and it started opening on its own. My senses began returning when I heard the slow stone grinding sound of the doors accent the view of a snowy forest in front of me.

 

I entered the wonderland with caution while looking into the seemingly endless forest. My mind wandered along with my eyes as I continued to move onward.

 

_How is it even possible to have a forest, snow, and a roof that high while still being underground?_

 

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted as my foot snagged on a heavy log. My balance was thrown off immediately, and I fell over, landing face first. On contact with the ground my gas mask smashed into my face, causing a considerable amount of pain.

 

[Watch where you’re going.]

 

_Yeah, little late with the warning there._

 

[Sorry, but a ghostly narrator has to get their laughs from somewhere.]

 

I put my hands on the ground in order to push myself up and noticed something: It wasn’t cold. This surprised me because that meant this winter wonderland contained no snow. I rubbed my hands in the odd powder just to fully deduce what it was. It was fluffy, not fully packed down, but also somewhat coarse.

 

_What is this stuff?_

 

[Ash. Most everything in the underground got covered in ash after the incident.]

 

_Incident? What incid-_

 

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud, echoing crack. I quickly jumped up and whirled around only to realize that one of the lenses to my gas mask had gone missing. This messed with my vision because my eyes were now seeing two different views. I immediately whipped off the mask and checked my surroundings.

 

On the first scan I saw nothing out of place. No people or monsters. There wasn’t even a footprint. On the second look I saw what had caused the noise, and it sent shivers down my spine. The log that I had tripped over, almost two feet in diameter, had been snapped in half. I looked as though something large and heavy had hit the center of the trunk, and had broken it with ease.

 

[A sense of dread fills the air. Your sense of security leaves you.]

 

I began to back away, my wide eyes still locked on the shattered tree.

 

_Some massive, invisible monster is stalking me? Screw that! I’m out of here! _

 

I turned and started sprinting as fast as I could. I had hardly made it a block before I heard a set of crunching footsteps walking slowly behind me. This fueled my running with even more fear and adrenaline.

 

While running I took the risk to glance over my shoulder. Curiosity and more fear filled my mind when I saw nothing chasing me.

 

_Where did it go? I know it was following me! There aren’t even footprints!_

 

My momentum was stopped very suddenly as I ran face first into a wooden pole. I bounced back, fell off my balance, and landed on my flank. I grabbed my head in an attempt to dampen the pain.

 

[Jeez, dude. You’ve hardly been in this wood for five minutes and you’ve gained two concussions. Are you attracted to head trauma or do you just enjoy the pain?]

 

I stood, still holding my head.

 

_You know, you’re really not helping here._

 

I looked up at the large wooden object before me. I realized that if I had been less than a foot to the right I would have fallen into a seemingly bottomless pit.

 

_Let’s not relive THAT experience again._

 

I froze solid when I heard the slow footsteps behind me once more. I knew it was too close for me run, so I dared not to move. My adrenaline continued to flow through my veins as I heard its shuffling walk get closer. After what felt like an eternity the footsteps halted, and I felt the creature breathe on the back of my neck.

 

A slow and ominous voice spoke.

 

“Human. Don’t you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand.”

 

Goosebumps covered my whole body. I knew I only had one choice. I closed my eyes, spun around and stuck out my hand. I felt cold, bony fingers strongly grasp my hand. But, to my surprise, the sound of a comically fake fart echoed through the forest. I slowly opened my eyes to see a skeleton shorter than me wearing a blue hoodie, black shorts, and slippers holding my hand. A smile of relief spread across my face.

 

He spoke again, but this time with a more casual and friendly sounding voice.

 

“heheh. the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it’s ALWAYS funny.”

 

I smiled and nodded in response.

 

_It’s and oldie, but a goodie for sure._

 

“anyways, you’re a human right?”

 

I nodded again.

 

“that’s hilarious.”

 

_Hilarious? I think this guy needs to recalibrate his humor compass._

 

“by the way, i’m sans. sans the skeleton.”

 

We exchanged another handshake.

 

“i’m actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now.”

 

_Why do you need to watch for humans?_

 

“but… y’know… i don’t really care about capturing anybody.”

 

_Jeez, dude. You sound so lazy. It’s a wonder that you’re able to keep this job._

 

“now my brother, papyrus...”

 

_I wonder how a skeleton can have a brother…_

 

“he’s a human hunting FANATIC.”

 

_Great. Now I have a new thing to worry about._

 

“hey, actually, i think that’s him over there.” 

 

I turned around to see where Sans was pointing. Sure enough there was another skeleton in the distance.

 

“i have an idea. go through this gate thingy.”

 

I looked at the odd wooden structure with four poles with confusion.

 

 _ T _ _hat’s supposed to be a gate? The thing I ran into a minute ago was supposed to be a gate? How dumb IS this Papyrus guy?_

 

“yeah, go right through. my bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone.”

 

Both me and Sans were able to walk through the so called gate without any problems, and a few seconds later, we entered into a small clearing that contained an oddly shaped lamp and a shabby looking wooden shack.

 

I then heard distant laughter and saw that the other skeleton had begun to walk towards Sans and me.

 

“quick, behind that conveniently-shaped lamp.”

 

I quickly walked over and hid behind the lamp that seemed to be the perfect shape and size for my body. Just after I had ducked out of sight the other bony monster entered the clearing.

 

“sup bro?”

 

A new voice spoke up filled with loud pride.

 

“YOU KNOW WHAT ‘SUP’ BROTHER! IT’S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN’T...”

 

An audible gasp was heard as the brother of Sans caught his breath. His next works were clearly that of annoyance.

 

“RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES!”

 

I cringed as the final word was yelled.

 

“YOU JUST HANG AROUND OUTSIDE YOUR STATION!”

 

_That’s supposed to be a station? Man, these skeletons have funny definitions of structures._

 

“WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!?”

 

“staring at this lamp. it’s really cool. do you wanna look?”

 

_You traitorous skeleton! How dare you sell me out!_

 

I then heard the repeated sound of a foot hitting the ground.

 

“NO!! I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE!?! I WANT TO BE READY!!”

 

I let out a silent sigh.

 

_Thank goodness he’s not that easily persuaded. _

 

“I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN!”

 

_What’s he going on about now?_

 

I carefully peeked around the lamp to see the enthusiastic skeleton. He was far taller than Sans or me, and he wore strange looking armor befitting a space pirate. He also wore a large scarf that doubled as a cape. The cape looked like it was flapping in the wind even though there seemed to be no outside force affecting it. He struck a dramatic pose as he began his monologue.

 

“THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE!”

 

_Someone needs to get this guy into ego counseling._

 

“RESPECT… RECOGNITION… I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD!”

 

_Royal guard, huh? The monsters down here have a government? Seems interesting._

 

“PEOPLE WILL ASK TO, BE MY, ‘FRIEND?’”

 

_He doesn’t have friends? That’s kinda sad. It may explain the ego issues…_

 

“I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING.”

 

_I’m pretty sure that’s not how friendship works buddy._

 

 _"_ hmm… maybe this lamp will help you.”

 

Papyrus proceeded to stomp his foot again.

 

“SANS!! YOU ARE NOT HELPING!! YOU LAZYBONES!! ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE! YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERY DAY!!!”

 

“hey, take it easy. i’ve gotten a _ton_ of work done today.”

 

I could tell by the tone of Sans’ voice that he was very smug about something.

 

“a skele- _ton_.”

 

[From deep in the forest a faint rimshot is heard.]

 

I grin and facepalm at the cheesiness of the joke.

 

“SANS!!!”

 

“come on. you’re smiling.”

 

“I AM AND I HATE IT!”

 

I try my best to hold in snickers and giggles.   

 

_Oh my gosh. This guy is a machine of bad puns._

 

“SIGH… WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME HAVE TO DO SO MUCH TO GET SOME RECOGNITION...”

 

“wow, sounds like you’re really working yourself...”

 

The same smugness from before returns to Sans’ voice.

 

“down to the bone.”

 

[Another rimshot can be heard in the distance.]

 

I keel over and cover my mouth in order to prevent any laughter from escaping.

 

_They’re so bad but so good!_

 

“UHG!!! I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES.”

 

Papyrus turned to leave, but paused before doing so.

 

“AS FOR YOUR WORK?”

 

I sensed a familiar smugness in his voice. It was similar to that of Sans.

 

“PUT A LITTLE MORE…’BACKBONE’ INTO IT!!!! NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!!”

 

He quickly dashed out of the clearing while laughing with his ridiculous laugh that could only be rivaled by Skeletor.

 

_Holy crap! These skele-bros could be a comedy duo!_

 

I was about to leave my hiding spot until I saw Papyrus step back into the clearing. He pointed at his brother in a dramatic fashion before letting out a final “HEH!” and dashing away once more. I sat there for a few more moments till Sans spoke up again.

 

“ok, you can come out now.”

 

I left my surprisingly convenient and effective spot and looked at the only remaining skeleton in the immediate vicinity.

 

“you oughta get going. he might come back. and if he does… you’ll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes.”

 

The silly skeleton winked at me, and I smiled in return. I began my trek forward once more, only to be stopped by Sans again.

 

“actually, hey… hate to bother ya, but can you do me a favor?”

 

I turned around and looked at the casual comedian with a quizzical look.

 

“i was thinking… my brother’s been kind of down lately… he’s never seen a human before. seeing you might just make his day.”

 

_Wait, doesn’t he want to capture me? That doesn’t sound like an enjoyable experience._

 

[Sans reads you expression and understands your concern.]

 

“don’t worry, he’s not dangerous. even if he tries to be.”

 

_Well, I mean, he IS this guy’s brother. If anyone should know what Papyrus is like it would be Sans. And Papyrus did sound a little distressed. I’ll give this guy the benefit of the doubt._

 

I signaled Sans with a thumbs up; agreeing to his request.

 

“thanks a million. i’ll be up ahead.”

 

Sans turned and walked back towards the door to the ruins.

 

_ Wait, if he says he will be ahead of me then why is he walking back the way he came? Whatever. Maybe he knows about a path or shortcut that’s really fast. _

 

I turned my back to the clearing and continued on my journey to leave the underground.


	6. Oxytale Part 6

I pressed forward, the cheer of recent jokes still warming my heart.    


 

_ Yo u know, I could get used to living in this place. The skele-bros are cool and funny, and the ash here seems to just collect on the ground and not the air. _

 

[The underground has many different areas; each are very unique. You may end up loving a different area.]

 

_ Different areas, huh? I don’t know. Maybe I just like this area because of the silly skeletons… _

 

My mind trailed for a short while as I walked, going this way and that way until I came across a fork in the road. In between the splitting paths was a large chest with a sign in front of it.   
  


_ Hey, narrator? Could you read that sign for me? _

 

The sound of someone clearing their throat echoed through my head before my ghostly companion began.

 

[This is a box. You can put an item inside or take an item out. The same box will appear later, so don’t worry about coming back. Sincerely, a box lover.]

 

_ That was both useless and informative at the same time. _

 

I opened the lid of the chest and peeked inside. The box only held one item: a single boxing glove that looked old but still tough and usable. I chose it was best to leave it alone.

 

_ It could be someone else’s. Best not to touch it. _

 

I stepped back and chose to head left on the fork. 

 

_ I must say that the landscape here looks very nice. I mean, if you can get past the whole apocalyptic looking dead trees covered in ash then it looks great. _

 

The path led to another small clearing that ended with a small river bank and grey, poisoned looking water. Off to the right of the clearing was a fishing rod affixed to the ground, its line cast into the water. I chose to real in the line to see if anything was hooked.

 

[A faded photograph is attached to the hook. It seems the photo’s original image has been changed by the contents of the water. You have a feeling that the original purpose of the photo was so that a monster could “hook up” with someone.]

 

I snickered at the joke.

 

_ I don’t know about you, but I’m not one to get easily “caught up” silly fantasies. You’ll have to tell the owner of this photo that there are more fish in the ocean. _

 

My narrator and I shared a quick laugh together. 

 

[If Sans were here right now he would be so proud.]

 

_ And Papyrus would be infuriated. _

 

Another round of hearty laughs was exchanged. After the giggling had subsided I chose to head back to the fork in the road and head down the other path.

 

Within a minute of me traveling down the path I saw two familiar looking skeletons talking to one another. I chose to get closer in an attempt to overhear what they were saying. I slowly crept up on them until my goal was met.

 

“SO, AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE,”

 

Just then a branch broke under the weight of my foot. The sound instantly drew the attention of both skeletons. Papyrus leaned over to his brother and whispered in a voice not much quieter than his normal outgoing way.

 

“SANS!! OH MY GOD!! IS THAT...A HUMAN!?!?!??!?!”

 

I froze in place.

 

[You realize then the sudden ceasing of your movements will not matter due to the fact that you are standing in the middle of the path.]

 

_ Ah. Right. I didn’t really think that through. _

 

[No, you didn’t.]

 

“uhhhh...actually, i think that’s a rock.”

 

My brow furrowed with confusion. 

 

_ A rock? _

 

I looked behind me to be sure that Sans wasn’t talking about anything else. Sure enough, just a few feet up the path was a medium sized stone.

_ Oh. _

 

“OH.”

 

The taller of the two monsters assumed a stance that could only be described as melancholic. 

 

“hey, what’s that in front of the rock?”

 

Papyrus’ face lights up as his eyes, or rather, eye sockets spotted me. 

 

“OH MY GOD!!!”

 

The extremely enthusiastic skeleton once more leaned down to his brother and resumed his load whisper.

 

“IS...IS THAT A HUMAN?”

 

His shorter brother replied with a similar sounding voice.

 

“yes.” 

 

Papyrus bloomed with glee as he slapped, or rather clacked, his hands on his cheeks. 

 

“OH MY GOD!!! SANS! I FINALLY DID IT!! UNDYNE WILL...I’M GONNA...I’LL BE SO…POPULAR!!! POPULAR!!! POPULAR!!!”

 

[Papyrus’ ecstasy is so powerful that you can almost envision his fantasies.]

 

_ Ugh. Dude. That sounds so wrong. _

 

The prideful skeleton struck a quick pose that emanated pride and then pointed at me in an overly dramatic style.

 

“AHEM. HUMAN! YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU!!! I WILL THEN CAPTURE YOU! YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL! THEN...THEN!!!”

 

The speech-driven monster paused and scratched his head.

 

“I’M NOT SURE WHAT’S NEXT.”

 

He then pointed at me once more, his vigor renewed.

 

“IN ANY CASE! CONTINUE...ONLY IF YOU DARE!!! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!!!”

 

Papyrus ran out of the clearing, his laughter trailing him as he went. Both Sans and me watched his dramatic exit till he was out of earshot.

 

“well, that went well.”

 

We both smiled at each other.

 

“oh, and don’t sweat it kid. i’ll keep an eye socket out for ya.” 

 

_ I don’t think I could ever be afraid of Papyrus. He seems so innocent that he wouldn’t hurt a bug. _

 

Sans winked at me by closing his eye socket before leaving the clearing and following his brother. 

 

_ That’s...creepy. How is he able to close his eye socket if it’s made of bone? _

 

[Magic.]

 

_ No, I mean it. Seriously. How does he do it? _

 

[And I gave you a serious answer.]

 

_ Really? _

 

[Really.]

 

I shrugged and proceeded to follow the path the two brothers had gone down. Not far down the road I saw another so called ‘station’ with a strange looking figure standing beside it. I continued on, curiosity about the new monster fueling my stride. Once I was quite near the station, I was able to make out the figure’s definitions. 

 

The creature resembled that of a large bird, no taller that me, with big white feathers. His face was quite odd looking due to it having what seemed to be a mask made of ice extending from it's jawbone. 

 

_ I'm not sure how to feel about this. I can't read his body language because I don't know how to yet. I wonder if he, or she, is the sentry of this station. _

 

[Snowdrake fight!]

 

_ Wait, what?! _

 

[Snowdrake flutters forth!]

 

The bird creature jumped towards me, kicking up a lot of the ash in the area with his wings. The ash, instead of settling, began swirling and closing both me and the monster in a makeshift arena. 

 

_ What’s with this guy? I did nothing to cause this! _

 

[This teen comedian fights to keep a captive audience.]

 

“I’ll fight you in  _ cold  _ blood!”

 

Snowdrake spread his wings out and shot icicles into the ash. I steadied myself for whatever may come. As I was glancing into the ash cloud I saw a snake made of pure ice shoot out in an horizontal arch trajectory. I lunged back and then noted that more of the same kind of snake were shooting out from random areas. I skillfully ducked, dove and dodged my way out of the way. After a few dangerous moments the assault ceased. 

 

_ This is definitely NOT how comedy works! _

 

[Snowdrake is smiling at it’s own bad joke.]

 

After a moment of staring at the bird-monster’s face I started snickering.

 

_ His face looks so silly when he smiles. _

 

[Snowdrake’s face lights up with glee.]

 

“Laughs! See, dad was wrong!”

 

_ Wait. What? _

 

[Snowdrake is pleased with his ‘cool’ joke.]

 

The smoke surrounding me and the monster dissipated and my opponent ran off, fluttering his wings with delight.  

 

_ Well...that was...odd? _

 

[Odd for you, normal for the underground.]

 

_ The weirdest part is is that there’s no actual snow here. It just looks like there is. It’s not even that cold. _

 

[Like I said: odd for you, normal for the underground.]

 

I shrugged my shoulders and looked around at my surroundings. I realized that I was still in the same place from before the battle had started: the same clearing, the same poorly built sentry station. 

 

_ Hey, narrator, there’s a sign on this station. What does it say? _

 

[Oh yeah, there is some narration on this... _ cardboard box. _ ]

 

The sound of someone clearing their throat echoed through my mind.

 

[YOU OBSERVE THE WELL-CRAFTED SENTRY STATION. WHO COULD HAVE BUILT THIS, YOU PONDER...I BET IT WAS THAT VERY FAMOUS ROYAL GUARDSMAN! (NOTE: NOT YET A VERY FAMOUS ROYAL GUARDSMAN.)]

 

_ Oh. Of course. I expect no less from the self proclaimed ‘GREAT PAPYRUS’. _

 

[Nyeh heh heh!]

 

I began to laugh out loud but was cut short by a sharp pain in my throat. I dropped to my knees in pain, holding my throat and coughing up blood. The more I coughed the more pain welled up. Moments later I vomited, causing the coughs to halt. 

 

_ Right. Forgot that I can’t speak. How could I forget that I have a gash in my throat? _

 

I remained in that spot, on my hands and knees, breathing heavily. 

 

_ Narrator? _

 

[Yeah?]

 

_ Remind me to never do that again. _

 

[Sure…]

 

I waited a minute before standing up. The moment I was upright, a huge wave of dizziness hit me like a wall. I stumbled back and leaned against Papyrus’ station. I held my forehead till the the nauseating tsunami passed. Once it had fully faded, I slowly made my way down the path.

 

While I walked down the path, I realized that I was walking in total silence. No birds, no bugs, no narrator, nothing. The only sounds that echoed through the dead trees were those generated by me. I thought about this and realized that it was slowly filling me with an odd sense of tranquility. 

 

My peaceful thoughts were redirected to a new realm as I walked into yet another clearing containing a third sentry station. This station however was clearly built by an actual architect. It had a sturdy roof, strong looking walls, polished wood and even a little wooden dog head carving at the peak of roof. 

 

_ I bet this is a station for a REAL sentry. They took the time to make and accessorize an actual post. They even have a silver bell on the desk! _

 

When I focused on the side of the sentry post, I noticed a fancy looking sign nailed to the wall. 

 

_ Would it be bothersome if I requested the translating power of my personal narrator? _

 

[No, dear sir...ma’am...thing...I would not mind.]

 

_ Please, don’t bother with the honorifics. It gets confusing. _

 

[Got it. NOW! The sign’s translation is as follows…Ahem…”Absolutely NO MOVING!!!”]

 

_ That’s rude. And here I thought that the little hotel bell and dog head were inviting. _

 

I walked over to the front of the station and saw that there was no one behind the desk.

 

_ Well, it looks unoccupied. I don’t think anyone will mind if we break sign’s the rules. _

 

Just then a dog holding a bone in it’s mouth like a cigar popped his head up, startling me. It quickly looked around the clearing, almost as if it couldn’t see me. 

 

“Did something move? Was it my imagination? I can only see moving things.”

 

_ That sounds like a very specific type of blindness. _

 

“If something WAS moving...For example, a human...I’ll make sure it NEVER moves again!”

 

The dog leapt out from behind the station and caused the ash in the area to create a wall around both of us. 

 

_ What’s with this ash arena?! It happens every time I get in a fight! _

 

[Doggo blocks the way!]

 

I quickly looked over the dog to see what I was up against. Most all of it’s fur was white with exception of his head, the top half of it was black. It almost made it look like he was wearing a mask. He also wore a faded red tank top with a dog face on it. Along with the tank top he wore baggy leopard print pants held up with a belt that had a large silver belt buckle. His posture was similar to mine, standing on his back legs. His weaponry consisted of two short swords that he held in the paws not used for standing.

 

_ What’s with this dog? Wearing clothes, standing like a human, using knifes, and only being able to see things that move? _

 

[This pup is easily excited by movement. His hobbies include squirrels.]

 

_ Squirrels, huh? Why am I not surprised? _

 

“Don’t move an inch!”

 

The guard dog hit his swords together and spread them out vertically. A beam of blue magic shot out and created a sword as tall as the trees at one end of the clearing. Doggo began to slowly sweep the sword across the clearing.

 

Panic filled my body and I froze like a deer in headlights.

 

_ How do I dodge it?!? It takes up the entire clearing! There’s no avoiding it! _

 

I stared wide eyed as the blade closed in on me. I breathing became erratic and sweat began to form on my brow. Moments before it hit me I closed my eyes tight and winced; preparing myself for the incoming pain. However, instead of the searing pain of a magic blade, I was hit with an odd tingling sensation. If flowed gently through my whole being and left me as peacefully as a soft spring breeze. Once it passed I opened my eyes and saw the sword had passed through me. Moments later Doggo dissipated the magic weapon and glanced around the clearing.

 

[Doggo can’t seem to find anything.]

 

_ OOOH! I get it now! He said don’t move and I didn’t. His magic must hurt only moving things. That makes sense now. _

 

I wiped the sweat off my forehead and looked at Doggo again. As I stared at him an idea popped into my head and caused a devilish grin to spread across my face.

 

[What’s with that look? What are you planning?]

 

_ I was just thinking that he can’t hurt me if I don’t move, and he IS a dog… _

 

[Where are you going with this?]

 

_ Imma pet him! _

 

I slowly and carefully snuck up to the sentry, reached up, and rubbed the top of his head. In response he jumped back in shock and struck a clearly panicked defensive stance.

 

[You pet Doggo. He is now triggered.]

 

“WHAT!!! I’VE BEEN PET!!!”

 

He began frantically looking around in an attempt to find me. While doing so he let out a series of “PET, PAT” and “POT”

 

[Doggo has been pet.]

 

_ I guess I shouldn’t mess with him anymore… _

 

The terrorised pup fearfully slunk back into his sentry station.

 

“S-S-S-Something pet me...Something that isn’t m-m-moving...I’m gonna need some dog treats for this!!!”

 

_ Well, now that we’ve dealt with this guy I suppose I should move on. _

 

[By we, you mean you. And by dealt, you mean traumatized.]

 

I turned on my heel and continued down the path. 

 

_ Aw! You’re no fun! _

 

[Say what you will. I’m just the narrator.]

 

As me and my spectral dictator left the clearing I noticed a small stack of burnt dog treats on the ground.

 

[It seems someone’s been smoking dog treats.]

 

_ That’s a weird thing to do. _

 

[Odd for you, normal for the underground.]


	7. Oxytale Part 7

My tranquil yet seemingly never ending walk through the ashen forest. By this point I was amazed that I hadn’t gotten any lung damage. The surroundings smelled heavily of burnt fuel, yet I had taken no damage due to the environment. I figured that I had time to ask my ghostly partner about this conundrum.

  
_ Hey narrator, any idea why the ash here has yet to affect me? I mean, I should have gotten some type of lung damage by now, right? _

  
[No idea.]   
  


_ Really? Didn’t you say you lived down here for a while? Didn’t you have to deal with all the smoke and ash too? _   
  


[Nope. All the smoke and stuff showed up after I died. I never had to deal with it physically.]   
  


_ Did you get to see what caused all this? _   
  


[Sort of. You see, I can only exist when another human enters the underground; I live through them, seeing what they see. I was lucky enough to have a human child, like yourself, in the underground when the accident that caused all the smoke and ash happened.]   
  


_ So you know what caused it? _   
  


[Well… no. The human I was inhabiting actually died because of the same pollutant causing accident.]   
  


_ Wow. What are the chances? _   
  


[Rather high it seems.]   
  


_ Hey, there’s something I’ve wanted to bring up for a while. _   
  


[What is it?]   
  


_ I never got your name, and it feels weird to call you narrator all the time. _   
  


A long pause of silence hung in the air as I waited for a response.   
  


_ Uum…I mean, you don’t have to if you do- _   
  


[Char.]   
  


_ What? _   
  


[You can call me Char.]   
  


_ Alright! Char it is! _ __   
  


Down the road I saw Sans leaning against a tree, looking very relaxed. I quickened my pace slightly till I reached where he was standing. Once I reached his position I noted that he had propped himself u at the entrance to yet another clearing containing just a large puddle with an 

old, faded sign in the center of it.    
  


_ Geez! There are so many clearings in these woods I bet it looks like an ant colony from above.  _

  
The sound of soft snoring reminded me that Sans was still present. I reached over and gently jostled the sleeping skeleton. He woke up lazily, looked off into the distance as if he was trying to remember something, then looked at me and stepped away from the tree.     
  


“hey, i have something important for you to remember. my brother has a very special attack.”  
  


_ That sounds oddly suggestive. _   
  


“if you see a blue attack, don’t move, and it won’t hurt you.”  
  


_ Yeah…right. I don’t know if you noticed the MASSIVE BLUE SWORD from the last clearing, but I’ve already figured out the whole blue attack thing. _   
  


“here’s an easy way to keep it in mind.”  
  


_ Oh. I can’t wait to hear the pneumonic. _   
  


“imagine a stop sign.”  
  


I closed my eyes and imagined the octagonal red sign.   
  


“when you see a stop sign, you stop, right? stop signs are red. so imagine a blue stop sign instead.”  
  


I opened my eyes and gave Sans a blank stare.   
  


“simple, right? when fighting, think about blue stop signs.”  
  


I decided that then was a good time to walk away. As I did Sans whispered at me.   
  


“remember… blue stop signs.”  
  


I looked back to see that the strange skeletal comedian had vanished. I ran back and looked behind the tree he had been leaning on. After a quick examination, I discovered that he was truly gone.   
  


_ What the?! _   
  


[Magic.]   
  


_ What kind? Can he project an image? Teleport? What is it?! _   
  


[It’s just magic.]   
  


_ You know, I don’t always appreciate your sass. _   
  


[It’s an acquired taste.]

 

I let out an exasperated sigh as I turned to view what the current clearing had to offer.   
  


I walked through the large puddle of murky water towards the heavily weathered sign. Sadly, the sign was not legible. The only thing I could make out were four arrows pointing in four directions, and the word “Town” under the right arrow. 

 

_ Civilization!  _

 

I trudged my way out of the puddle and began briskly walking in the direction of the so called “Town”. Almost immediately the path I was walking opened up into a rather large clearing.

 

This clearing was different from the others in that the center of it was cleared out of all ash. The empty patch showed remnants of long dead grass. There were also a few trees to my left and right that were halfway to falling off a tall cliff. My attention was drawn towards Papyrus giving Sans another loud rant. I squinted at Sans and flashed the “I’m watching you” hand signal.

 

“YOU’RE SO LAZY!! YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!!”

 

“i think that’s called sleeping.”

 

_ So, monsters sleep too. And there seems to be a day/ night cycle. Very interesting. _

 

“EXCUSES, EXCUSES!”

 

I let out a nonchalant cough in order to alert Papyrus of my presence. He immediately spun to face me.

 

“OH-HO! THE HUMAN ARRIVES!”

 

_ I arrived a little while ago actually. _

 

“IN ORDER TO STOP YOU MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME PUZZLES!”

 

_ Well at least you have the decency to try to beat me in a fair challenge… unlike a few monsters I’ve run into. _

 

“I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS ONE… QUITE SHOCKING!!!”

 

Sans’ smile widened at the hearing of a pun.

 

“FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS THE INVISIBLE…”

 

The hopeful skeleton paused for effect.

 

“ELECTRICITY MAZE!!!”

 

_ I take it back! This is anything but a fair challenge! _

 

Papyrus pulled something out from his back and threw it high into the air at such a rapid speed that I was unable to see what the thrown object was. He caught the object in an amazingly dramatic fashion and proudly showed the unidentified object. The item in question was a small metallic orb that looked shockingly similar to a repainted globe of earth.

 

“WHEN YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THIS MAZE, THIS ORB WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP!”

 

_ Great. Just Great! He’s harnessing Thor in order to challenge me. How does he expect me to live through this? _

 

“SOUND LIKE FUN???”

 

_ No! _

 

“BECAUSE! THE AMOUNT OF FUN YOU WILL HAVE PROBABLY HAVE, IS ACTUALLY RATHER SMALL I THINK.”

 

_ I’d be inclined to think the same seeing as how getting electrocuted to death was not on my To-Do list today.  _

 

“OK YOU CAN GO AHEAD NOW.”

 

_ Well, here goes everything. _

 

I cautiously took a single step forward while cringing in anticipation of a massive, tingling jolt going through my system.

 

[You feel the air around you buzz with power.]

 

I slowly set one foot into the clearing where the maze was located. I tensed up and closed my eyes instinctively as I heard a massive electric zap resonate throughout the whole of the ashen forest. I stood in the same position for a moment, frozen, before opening one eye. I went lax at the sight of Papyrus covered from skull to toe in black scorch marks. His face had a whole plethora of emotions on it: confusion, anger, and a slight hint of satisfaction.

 

_ I’m guessing the satisfaction is from knowing that his device worked, and the the rest of the emotions are from having his puzzle backfire on him.  _

 

I smiled at the hilarity of the situation. 

 

“SANS!!! WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!”

 

“i think the human has to hold the orb.”

 

“OH, OKAY.”

 

The taller of the two skeletons quickly walked a zigzag path through the clearing, plopped the orb into my hands, and ran back to his initial position. I was surprised at the weight of the object. 

 

_ And here I thought that there would be a bunch of heavy circuitry inside of it. I almost feels like it’s hollow. _

 

While looking down at the orb I noticed that the puzzle loving skelebro had left a path of footprints leading me exactly to the end of the maze.

 

“OKAY, TRY NOW!”

 

_ Oh Papyrus. What am I going to do with you?  _

 

I easily made my way through the maze by following the foot-made path in the ash. 

 

_ That was  _ shockingly  _ easy. _

 

Sans gave me a quick wink.

 

_ Wait… can he read my mind? _

 

[No. He’s just able to guess what you’re thinking by reading your expression. He’s very good at it.]

 

“INCREDIBLE!! YOU SLIPPERY SNAIL!! YOU SOLVED IT SO EASILY… TOO EASILY!”

 

_ Is he not able to understand that he literally gave me the solution to his own puzzle. _

 

[Nope.]

 

_ My gosh, Papyrus. You’re so dumb it’s adorable. _

 

The aforementioned calcium creature’s shout shocked me out of my thoughts.

 

“HOWEVER!! THE NEXT PUZZLE WILL NOT BE EASY!”

 

_ Oh? _

 

“IT IS DESIGNED BY MY BROTHER, SANS!”

 

_ I bet it’s going to have something to do with puns. _

 

“YOU WILL SURELY BE CONFOUNDED! I KNOW I AM!”

 

Papyrus exits the clearing in his usual style: running away with a skip in his step and his signature laugh trailing behind him. I strolled over to Sans and handed him the orb.

 

“hey, thanks. my brother seems like he’s having fun.”

 

I gave him a thumbs up and a smile in response.

 

“by the way, did you see that weird outfit he’s wearing? “

 

I nodded.

 

“we made it a few weeks ago for a costume party.”

 

_ Oh my gosh. That sounds so cute! He’s almost too innocent for this world. _

 

“yeah, he hasn’t worn anything else since. Keeps calling it his ‘battle body’.”

 

_ Okay… maybe a little less cute… but still very innocent and cool. _

 

“man. isn’t my brother cool?”

 

I smiled wide and nodded in agreement. After receiving a smile in return I casually turned to follow after Papyrus. 

 

The path that the tall skeleton had taken quickly narrowed down to the point that only two people could walk side-by-side. If there was a third person, someone would end up falling off a very tall cliff. I tried to focus on just walking forward, but my avid curiosity forced me to take a quick look over the edge. The view only showed me another forest hundreds of feet below; the dead trees and ash looking to be a veritable spike pit.

 

[Your skin crawls as a sense of vertigo slithers over you.]

 

_ NOPE! _

 

My pace quickened and my focus locked on the end of the path. I began to nervously sweat and my walk got even fast. Within moments I was in a full-on sprint fueled solely by panic and the fear of falling. After a handful of seemingly never ending seconds I reached the other side. I dropped to my knees and took some time to stare at the silky ash.

 

_ Well… I didn’t know I was afraid of heights like that. _

 

[The more you know.]

 

_ I suddenly no longer envy Laura Croft. _

 

[Who?]

 

_ Forget about it.  _

 

Nearby muttering drew my attention and caused me to look up from the ground. 

 

“I don’t understand why these aren’t selling… It’s the perfect weather for something cold…”

 

Standing just a few feet to my left was a anthropomorphic bunny with light blue fur wearing a yellow shirt and red pants. His shirt had a single red stripe running down the center in, what I guessed, an attempt to match the pants. The odd new creature was leaning against a three wheeled push cart that had a large umbrella attached to it. The cart had matching (albeit faded) colors to that of what the bunny wore, and there was a sign on the side of it that had happy looking text on it. 

 

_ Almighty translator, if you please. _

 

[The sign says “sASH cream”. I think it supposed to be a play off of ice cream...a very bad play.]

 

While the bunny-man was standing there with his eyes closed I heard him muttering to himself. 

 

“I don’t understand why these aren’t selling… It’s the perfect weather for something dry and ashy.”

 

Just then he opens his eyes and sees me. Him demeanor instantly changed to that of immense joy. 

 

“OH!!!! A CUSTOMER!!!”

 

Guilt fills me as I realize that I don’t have any money.

 

_ Char! What do I do? He looks so happy… I don’t want to disappoint him. _

 

[Just go up and buy something from him. Trust me, you’ll be fine.]

 

I approach the stall apprehensively. 

 

“Hello! Would you like some sASH Cream?”

 

I nodded, and then a large, black rectangle appeared between me and the bunny. At the top it said 46g, and the center was filled with multiple smaller gray boxes that said “[empty]”. Before I could even react to anything, a another, smaller, black rectangle appeared before me that read “Buy sASH cream for 15g?”. Two options showed up that allowed me to either accept or decline. I stood there for a moment, trying to process everything, before I chose to put my hand on the “accept” option. After pressing it the second black rectangle disappeared, 15g was subtracted from the larger rectangle, and the bunny-man smiled wide. 

 

“Here you go! Have a super-duper day!”

 

The now overjoyed bunny turned around, retrieved a popsicle looking object from his cart and placed it in the black box. The treat vanished from his hand and one of the [empty] slots shimmered as the purchased item appeared in it’s stead. Then, in the same time it took to appear, the black rectangle vanished. 

 

The bunny, now beaming with pure joy, said goodbye to and me as I walked away stunned. 

 

_ What. The actual hell. Was that? _

 

[The market and inventory UI.]

 

_ Say what now? _

 

[The box was a user interface, or UI, that allows for secure and safe business activities. It’s a type of magic that ensures there is no theft. Also, the item you just bought has been put in your inventory.]

 

_ My inventory? How do I access that? _

 

[Just reach into your pocket.]

 

I tested this by reaching into my the pouch imbued in my pants in order to test the spectral narrator’s claim. Sure enough, I felt the cylindrical shape of the pseudo-popsicle.

 

_ Interesting. _

 

While marveling about this new found magic, I didn’t realize that I had continued forward and over a short bridge covering a small but life-threatening cliff gap. I had entered into a new area that had what looked to be a run-down mini golf course. A little deteriorated purple flag with a bent pole stuck out of a small hole in the ground. At my feet was a large circle about a little over half my height in diameter.

 

_ Hmm. That must be where the golf ball was allowed to start.  _

 

[Actually, it never had a golf ball. I used to have a large snowball that would start where that circle is.]

 

_ Wait, let me guess. The ball would be rolled, lose it’s size and fit into that small hole with the flag? _

 

[Yep. There was also ice along the whole track to make it bit harder.]

 

_ Sounds fun! I wish I was around when this place wasn’t a cesspit of ash. _

 

[It was a lot nicer then…]

 

A slight whooshing noise drew my attention behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see non other than Sans standing behind me. 

“heya, kiddo.”

 

I nodded a friendly hello back.

 

“so, you know that sASH Cream guy back there?”

 

I nodded once more; curiosity now poking at my mind.

 

“well, i’ve been thinking about starting my own business.”

 

I raised an eyebrow in an inquisitive manner, prodding him to continue.

 

“yep. i’m selling packed, fried ashballs. now only 5g.”

 

I closed my eyes, pinched the bridge of my nose, and shook my head in disapproval.

 

“yeah, i guess you’re right. i should charge way more than that.”

 

This time I straight-up facepalmed. 

 

_ Sans… that’s not the issue with that idea.  _

 

I opened my eyes to see that the plump, skeletal comedian had vanished once more, and that behind where he had stood was a path the had two small structures visible at the end. 

 

_ At this point I’m one hundred percent convinced that he can teleport. _

 

[You feel a sense of intrigue emanating from the two small structures.]

 

_ They do look somewhat familiar… _

 

I quickly jogged over to the new curiosity and discovered that, sure enough, I did recognise them. There were near carbon copies of the shack that Doggo had been inhabiting. A sign stood in front of each shack, with one standing between the both.

 

_ Char, if you please. _

 

[The sign in front of the left station says “his”. The sign in front of the right station says “hers”. The sign in the middle, albeit a bit faded, reads in bullet points.]

 

_ Bullet points? What is it? A shopping list. _

 

I snickered slightly at my own joke. 

 

[Sort of. The title of the poster reads “SMELL DANGER RATING:”. The first bullet says “Snow smell - Snowman. Rating: WHITE (Can become YELLOW Rating.”]

 

A giggle escaped my lips.

 

[The next one reads “Unsuspicious smell - Puppy. Rating: Blue (smell of rolling around.)”]

 

_ So there’s more dog sentries? _

 

[Seems so. Also, the last bullet point reads “Weird Smell - Humans. Rating: GREEN (Destroy at all costs!”]

 

_ Oh dang! That’s both offencive and scary at the same time! _

 

[The best part of that is that the word “GREEN” is written in all red.]

 

_ So, even though they’re monsters, they’re still colorblind. That could be useful to know. _

 

[How could that be useful?]

 

_ Shut up! I just wanted to sound like I was smart, okay? _

 

A delighted laugh echoed through my conscious. 

 

[You’re so cute when you get flustered.]

 

I felt my face turning red.

 

_ I am not cute! Shut up! _

 

Yet another laugh bounced around inside my head.

 

[You’re not helping your point.]

 

I crossed my arms in defiance.

 

_ You’re so mean. _

 

[Yeah, but where else am I supposed to get my fun?]

  
I let out an exasperated sigh before turning around and heading back. I went past the sad, faded golf flag, and on towards the next area.     


**Author's Note:**

> The audio book is in progress!  
> Here's the link to the summary:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mtpANhA6cA


End file.
